need help in identifying and pricing Luger

12-18-2001, 08:44 PM

Bear with me, I'm in no way a gun expert. I recently found what I think is an old Luger in a trunk I found in my home. I'd like some help in identifying and pricing it. Unfortunately I have no digital camera, so I can't send you a picture. Hopefully that will change, but here's what I know from looking at it:

9MM, 4 inch barrel.

Has the number 1914 written on the top of the gun right next to the barrel, and the number 700 with several "00" written on various parts of the gun.

Side safety with the word "Gesichert" written under it.

Checkered handle, nice finish, and some gold coloring on the trigger and other places on it.

Two clips, metal with wooden ends, one has "700" on the end, and the other "6481"

Very strange symbol on the top of the gun, seems to have the letters "DWV" in very ornate lettering, but I'm not entirely sure of the words.

On the handle, the letters "5.(either J or L). 3.54.

Has a holster, leather, intact and working. Has "Frost & Jahnel Breslau 1939" with an eagle with a swastika in it's claws.

I can provide any further information I can, so any questions I'd be happy to answer in the best of my ability. As soon as I can provide a picture I will.

thanks!

Steve

lugerholsterrepair · 12-18-2001, 10:26 PM

Steve, You can look in the technical info section and the general info section for more information.

What you have so luckily come apon is a WW1 Luger pistol made in 1914 by the Deutch Waffen Und Munitionfabriken (DWM) Co.

Geischert is German for Secured.

Gold coloring is a steel hardening process called strawing. Heated to about 460 degrees F. This colores the steel and hardnes it.

The 700 clip is the one issued with the pistol. The other is a mismatch and belongs to another pistol with that number. The 00 on all of the small parts is the last two numbers of the serial number used by the Germans to identify the parts for this pistol.

The letters and numbers on your gripstrap are unit designations and I do not have my references right at hand to decipher them for you. Maybe someone else will care to. I do know that only 20 percent or so of WW1 lugers were unit stamped.

Holster is WW2 vintage.

Jerry Burney

lugerholsterrepair · 12-18-2001, 10:33 PM

As for pricing, that is a complicated formula and is relative to condition. If it is the original blue and is say in the 85% range the pistol would be worth from $400.00 To $800.00 for better condition, 98% according to The Blue Book of Gun Values. The holster could run from $100. T0 $300.00 depending again on condition, color etc. Jerry Burney

BILL · 12-18-2001, 11:37 PM

There is a 1914 DWM in the Owner's Corner of this web site. It is about 95-97% (that can change a little if you are a buyer or a seller..not implying anything crooked here, just that it is not a perfect science). Since most people don't encounter rust blued pistols (and since there are different styles of rust bluing) it can be a difficult decision for the untrained eye to determine the actual condition of an Imperial Luger. Jerry has given a good ball park estimate, again, hard to do without actually seeing the gun. I guess it is hard for me to imagine finding that in a trunk in your house..it wasn't gift wrapped by any chance? (It might be a Christmas gift from your son).

tom · 12-19-2001, 08:40 AM

Grip markings on your piece indicate it was issued to the 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Company and was pistol number 54.

Hope this helps.

Tom

12-21-2001, 03:48 AM

"Jerry has given a good ball park estimate, again, hard to do without actually seeing the gun. I guess it is hard for me to imagine finding that in a trunk in your house..it wasn't gift wrapped by any chance?"

This was my dad's house. He left me a number of guns, so it wasn't really a big surprise when I found this one, I just don't remember ever seeing it as a child. I'm truly a gun novice; I know next to nothing about them, so to be honest I don't know how blue or what-not the gun is supposed to be. As soon as I'm able to get a picture on the forum, I certainly will.

In any case, I appreciate everyone's help on this.

Steve

12-21-2001, 04:46 PM

Steve said something very interesting. I've got several guns laying around, I know what they are, and how I got them, but my wife and son would have no idea!

If you have an interesting story, you bought it from your best friends uncle. Then write this up, what it is worth (the date you said that, with a note that it is probably worth more) and you will leave something behind for them to go on.

A nice story, a value, what it is.

If it is worth something to you, do you want your $2500 dollar Luger sold as a shooter to some joe-blow for $300? They'll be happy as heck, but will your wife and kids?

People get hurt, killed all the time, not just from heart attacks, but 40,000 people die each year in car wrecks. So, it could be you that leaves this earth a bit sooner than planned, are your Lugers going to a safe home?

Anyway, enough ucky talk, Merry Christmas and have a good ending of this year!

Ed Tinker

12-18-2001, 08:44 PM	#1
Steve White Guest Posts: n/a	need help in identifying and pricing Luger Bear with me, I'm in no way a gun expert. I recently found what I think is an old Luger in a trunk I found in my home. I'd like some help in identifying and pricing it. Unfortunately I have no digital camera, so I can't send you a picture. Hopefully that will change, but here's what I know from looking at it: 9MM, 4 inch barrel. Has the number 1914 written on the top of the gun right next to the barrel, and the number 700 with several "00" written on various parts of the gun. Side safety with the word "Gesichert" written under it. Checkered handle, nice finish, and some gold coloring on the trigger and other places on it. Two clips, metal with wooden ends, one has "700" on the end, and the other "6481" Very strange symbol on the top of the gun, seems to have the letters "DWV" in very ornate lettering, but I'm not entirely sure of the words. On the handle, the letters "5.(either J or L). 3.54. Has a holster, leather, intact and working. Has "Frost & Jahnel Breslau 1939" with an eagle with a swastika in it's claws. I can provide any further information I can, so any questions I'd be happy to answer in the best of my ability. As soon as I can provide a picture I will. thanks! Steve

12-18-2001, 10:26 PM	#2
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,865 Thanked 3,105 Times in 1,429 Posts	Re: need help in identifying and pricing Luger Steve, You can look in the technical info section and the general info section for more information. What you have so luckily come apon is a WW1 Luger pistol made in 1914 by the Deutch Waffen Und Munitionfabriken (DWM) Co. Geischert is German for Secured. Gold coloring is a steel hardening process called strawing. Heated to about 460 degrees F. This colores the steel and hardnes it. The 700 clip is the one issued with the pistol. The other is a mismatch and belongs to another pistol with that number. The 00 on all of the small parts is the last two numbers of the serial number used by the Germans to identify the parts for this pistol. The letters and numbers on your gripstrap are unit designations and I do not have my references right at hand to decipher them for you. Maybe someone else will care to. I do know that only 20 percent or so of WW1 lugers were unit stamped. Holster is WW2 vintage. Jerry Burney

12-18-2001, 10:33 PM	#3
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,763 Thanks: 4,865 Thanked 3,105 Times in 1,429 Posts	Re: need help in identifying and pricing Luger As for pricing, that is a complicated formula and is relative to condition. If it is the original blue and is say in the 85% range the pistol would be worth from $400.00 To $800.00 for better condition, 98% according to The Blue Book of Gun Values. The holster could run from $100. T0 $300.00 depending again on condition, color etc. Jerry Burney

12-18-2001, 11:37 PM	#4
BILL User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Western Washington Posts: 826 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: need help in identifying and pricing Luger There is a 1914 DWM in the Owner's Corner of this web site. It is about 95-97% (that can change a little if you are a buyer or a seller..not implying anything crooked here, just that it is not a perfect science). Since most people don't encounter rust blued pistols (and since there are different styles of rust bluing) it can be a difficult decision for the untrained eye to determine the actual condition of an Imperial Luger. Jerry has given a good ball park estimate, again, hard to do without actually seeing the gun. I guess it is hard for me to imagine finding that in a trunk in your house..it wasn't gift wrapped by any chance? (It might be a Christmas gift from your son).

12-19-2001, 08:40 AM	#5
tom User Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 269 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Unit Markings Grip markings on your piece indicate it was issued to the 5th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Company and was pistol number 54. Hope this helps. Tom

12-21-2001, 03:48 AM	#6
Steve White Guest Posts: n/a	Re: need help in identifying and pricing Luger "Jerry has given a good ball park estimate, again, hard to do without actually seeing the gun. I guess it is hard for me to imagine finding that in a trunk in your house..it wasn't gift wrapped by any chance?" This was my dad's house. He left me a number of guns, so it wasn't really a big surprise when I found this one, I just don't remember ever seeing it as a child. I'm truly a gun novice; I know next to nothing about them, so to be honest I don't know how blue or what-not the gun is supposed to be. As soon as I'm able to get a picture on the forum, I certainly will. In any case, I appreciate everyone's help on this. Steve

12-21-2001, 04:46 PM	#7
66mustang Guest Posts: n/a	Re: need help in identifying and pricing Luger Steve said something very interesting. I've got several guns laying around, I know what they are, and how I got them, but my wife and son would have no idea! If you have an interesting story, you bought it from your best friends uncle. Then write this up, what it is worth (the date you said that, with a note that it is probably worth more) and you will leave something behind for them to go on. A nice story, a value, what it is. If it is worth something to you, do you want your $2500 dollar Luger sold as a shooter to some joe-blow for $300? They'll be happy as heck, but will your wife and kids? People get hurt, killed all the time, not just from heart attacks, but 40,000 people die each year in car wrecks. So, it could be you that leaves this earth a bit sooner than planned, are your Lugers going to a safe home? Anyway, enough ucky talk, Merry Christmas and have a good ending of this year! Ed Tinker